Emergency responders from South Placer Fire Protection District raced to Granite Bay Thursday after a construction worker accidently sawed most of his hand off.

The incident took place at 3:47 p.m. According to SPFD Battalion Chief Darren McMillin, a lone construction worker was engaged in a job on Jon Way when he had a power-saw mishap, “partially amputating” his hand. The construction worker was awake enough to call 911 dispatchers with his other hand. McMillin said that around the time the call for help went out, a UPS driver happened on the scene and jumped out to help the bleeding stranger.

“It was good the UPS driver was in the area when the injury occurred,” McMillin said. “The degree to which (the victim) amputated his hand was significant. The UPS driver helped control the bleeding, and it was a serious amount of blood loss.”

South Placer firefighters deployed to the scene with lights on and sirens wailing. They arrived at the unfolding emergency within five minutes of the 911 call. Firefighters helped load the victim into an ambulance which then rushed him to Sutter Roseville Hospital.

Privacy laws prevent the hospital from commenting on whether the victim’s hand was lost.

McMillin said that during the housing boom of the 1990s, construction accidents were common in Granite Bay, though they have become increasingly rare for his department in recent years.